England's Dark Descent
by Mara360
Summary: England's gotten himself into another magical pickle, as he is now stuck in Amnesia: The Dark Descent! England must now face the evils inside Brennenburg Castle and survive the hell inside. Can he do it without losing hope or sanity? (A/N: The contents have been altered for your enjoyment. No slash or sex. Just pure Amnesia hell.)
1. Chapter 1

*Pokes out from bomb shelter* Uh... Hiya everyone. Sorry for the lack of updates. I was busy with a lot of things in life. This was something that I compiled together seeing as how I've been loving Hetalia for over a year now. I'm taking a very long Hiatus on the Dark World series that I updated a long time ago (mainly because I have writers block) but I haven't forgotten about it.

Anyway, read and enjoy this, I guess.

* * *

"America, what are you playing?"

Normally England was indifferent to what America did with his time, but recently America had been playing a very strange game. From the small glimpses he took, he saw that it was a horror survival game. The only reason he knew what it was is due to the fact that America NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT HIS GAMES. It was rather annoying, but he learned a bit about them, so he wouldn't make a total fool of himself when he was asked about such things. That, and to amuse the superpower so he could shut his mouth before he went on a ramble.

America gaped at the simple question, making England wish he didn't ask.

"Dude! You've never heard of Amnesia: The Dark Decent?!" The American shouted. England cringed at how loud he was.

"No." was the Brits only response. This made America gape his mouth wide open.

"DUDE! YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT NOW!" America boomed.

The next thing the Brit knew, he was sitting where America had been, staring at the title screen. England's eyes went white, mainly due to confusion and a little bit of anger which he was able to quickly control.

"Fine... I will play. But I have to make dinner first." England said, standing up.

America cringed, then thought of a way to make him avoid England's terrible cooking. "I bet you're just scared." The American blonde teased.

The Englishman stopped. "Me? Scared? Of course not!" He huffed indignantly.

"Oh? Then why're you so eager to 'make dinner?'" America sneered, not surprised by the fact England already fell for it.

"For your information, if you think that dinner is an excuse, then you're mistaken. I am the United Kingdom of Great Britian and Ireland, and no silly little video game is going to scare me!"

America got in his face. "Prove it."

England smirked, sitting back down and starting up the game. America breathed a sigh of relief. No British cooking today. Within mere seconds of the first cutscene, England was drawn in. He played and it wasn't until sunset that America came back from dinner.

"Hey, Iggs!" America shouted, slamming his hand on the other's shoulder.

England jumped backhanding America and nearly dislocated the others jaw. America fell to the ground.

"Alfred F. Jones! Don't startle me like that!" The Brit shouted. He left with a huff.

The American was still shocked by the force of the hit. He looked to see that he left his game unpaused. Looking at the screen, he was further shocked to find the credits already rolling. He went downstairs to find England doing the dishes, muttering.

"You beat the game already?" America asked, hoping that the already cross man wouldn't throw a knife at him.

"No. I went to make dinner after you left. The game crashed, so I decided to load one of your game sessions."

Now, America would have normally been pissed at his game being touched. But he processed what England said as a cowards' words. He did what anyone in his country did, despite there being an angry person in the room.

He burst out laughing.

"What the bloody hell are you laughing about?!" England sputtered.

"Dude you couldn't even take the beginning levels!" America gasped between his laughing fits, "You're more scared than Japan is!"

England snapped, his eyes white. Didn't he just explain...? He took the nearest knife and threw it at the offender. America shrieked.

"YOU BLOODY YANK!" England shouted, chasing the now fleeing nation.

They ran up to the room with America's computer. England charged raw magic in his hand, shooting it at the superpower. America jumped out of the way, the sphere hit the computer, but it did nothing. After a bit of cat and mouse however, America shoved England towards his computer, hoping his former caretaker would come to his senses via electrocution.

There was a flash of green light, and the two nations blacked out.

* * *

England was confused. One minute he'd been in his home, trying to curse Alfred after being made fun of, the next he'd blacked out. He'd now awoke to the uncomfortable silence and darkness of this new strange place.

"A-Alfred...?" He whispered, very scared. The response was rain hitting the window. He looked and saw small dots of red that lead up to his current position. He was scared, but the curiosity inside his mind instantly took over his fears. He dabbed his finger in the red substance and sniffed it.

'Mugwyrm... Mandrake leaves... And essence of rose.' He thought, 'These are the core basics of a memory poison.' He frowned sniffing it again. 'But there's something else... I think that there's some sort of... Sap in there...' He sniffed once more, "Maple sap?" he said aloud, utterly bemused. He was tempted to taste and confirm, but he remembered that it was memory poison.

He stood up and wiped his finger clean. He decided to follow it. After all nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And surely it must have been better than just standing here in the dark corridor all by himself... He walked, following the trail.

As he walked, he tried to look for anything useable. There were several containers of tinderboxes, but each one only held one match.

'How wasteful...' England thought with a frown on the first few. He decided to keep one container, and as soon as he filled it up, he would pick up the next container. He moved on.

As he walked, the eerie silence and darkness was slowly getting to him. He could feel a dark part of his mind slowly chipping away at his sanity. He tried to focus on the task ahead, but found it near impossible. Between the darkness and the strange, if somewhat scary, wind blowing, he was constantly distracted, giving the dark part at the back of his mind more leeway.

At one point he collapsed, rapidly losing consciousness, his fear coming back full force. He continued to struggle, forcing himself back onto his feet and plodded forward. He could swear he heard a voice in his head, but it may have been the wind.

On the bright side, he found a lantern half filled with oil. Now he wouldn't have to waste all of his matches in the tinderbox just to

see where he was walking.

Eventually, after much sanity-draining walking, he came upon a desk in a room surrounded by bottles, potions and books. There was a note on the desk, and a container of oil. He filled up his lantern to the fullest before reading the note.

"Daniel's Note to Self...?" England murmured, reading. This is what it said:

"19th of August, 1839" Wait... He traveled back in time... England shook his head and made a mental note to remember what was going on in his country at this time.

"I wish I could ask you how much you remember. I don't know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink.

"Don't be afraid Daniel. I can't tell you why, but know this. I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact.

"There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right. God willing, the name Alexander of Brennenburg still invokes bitter anger in you. If not, this will sound horrible.

"Go to the Inner Sanctum, find Alexander and kill him. His body is old and weak, and yours, young and strong. He will be no match for you.

"One last thing, a shadow is following you. It's a living nightmare, breaking down reality. I have tried everything and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can. Redeem us both Daniel. Descend into the darkness where Alexander waits and murder him.

"Your former self,

Daniel"

England read it over again. He frowned again. 'This doesn't sound good... But it's this Daniel's problem not mine.' He thought, 'I have to get home... And give that Yank a good thrashing...'

He looked around again. There were three large flasks. He decided to take all three of them, knowing that the first would be used to store excess oil for his lantern. He wasn't sure what the other two would be for, but if anything else it was more storage for his oil. After taking one last look, he found a lever. Pulling on it, he found that a bookshelf was a clever door to a hidden passageway.

'Just like at home.' England thought with a smirk. He walked down the hallway, feeling his sanity return to normal, a sense of pride washing over him at this discovery. There was a door at the end of this corridor.

'No turning back now...' he thought to himself. He opens the door and walked though the warped gateway.

* * *

Alfred groaned as he regained consciousness. There was the smell of sulfur, and of burned skin. He forced himself up, hoping that he didn't receive any more damage.

"Hey Iggs, you there?" America asked, a bit softer than his normal shouting.

"A-Alfred...?" Was the quite response. America blinked.

"Where are you?" he asked. Silence, then...

"Mugwyrm... Mandrake leaves... And essence of rose." The American furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "These are the basics of a memory poison..."

America looked at the computer. He saw that Amnesia had started back up, but it was different. It was like he was watching a movie. He went over to the computer and watched for a bit, wide eyed.

"No way..." he muttered, he bolted off to his gaming cave, his basement which he had converted for the sole purpose of gaming, and grabbed a headset that was hanging over his semi-massive Alienware computer as well as the charger for his laptop. He bolted back to the game, and plugged in the headset and charger just as the doorbell was rung.

America went to the door and was a bit shocked to see Japan standing at the door.

"Konichiwa America." The Japanesse nation said bowing, "You said you wanted to show me something...?"

America mentally facepalmed. He'd called Japan over to show that he'd gotten England to play Amnesia. At first he thought that he was screwed, then he realized that this was Japan. He loaned the American games that he thought were scary and cursed.

"Yeah... I actually kinda need your help..." America muttered sheepishly. He beckoned for the now confused and worried nation to follow him.

He showed the game to Japan. The other had a poker face even with the fact that Amnesia was acting up.

"Daniel's Note to Self...?" England was muttering.

Japan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "...Engrand-san?!"

America nodded with an uncomfortable look on his face. Japan gave a look that demanded explanation.

"Ok... Long story short, I pissed off Iggybrows and now he's stuck in there... Somehow." America said, "Even worse, I may have kinda hacked the game to make all the enemies give one-hit kills..."

Japan opened his mouth to ask how stupid the American was before their attention was turned back to England opening the door.

"We need to get him out." America said, quickly, "How do we do that?"

Japan worked quickly, his fingers typing on the keyboard. "There doesn't seem to be any way to get him out... He might need to play through the game."

America stiffened. "A-And if he dies before that...?"

Japan gave a poker face. "I do not know what will happen, but if it is like any other cursed game, he will die."

The blonde paled. "...W-well, isn't there some sort of way to hack the game?!"

"Not unless you want him stuck in an endless void or some other glitch."

America looked saddened. "We have to do something..." he said with a frown.

Japan looked at the headset. "Perhaps we can communicate with him."

* * *

Looks like England got himself into another dark pickle... Silly England~ When will you learn that magic and violence is not the way? Did ya like the US/UK fluffy doom? I know I did~ ^w^

Reviews are greatly apriciated.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone! Welcome to the second chapter! I keep having so many ideas that I get sidetracked... Anyways, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

The place was run down. This was a fact. Another fact was that this place was totally creepy. Light filtered through the holes in the ceiling, giving enough light to see details clearly. He saw a familiar insignia on the floor, partially buried under some fallen pillars. Bats flew away from England's entrance, their wings echoing through the hall.

Nervously, England approached the insignia. At first nothing happened. Then suddenly a wave of nausea overcame him as he fell to the floor. The place was bright and filled with life, not in a state of disrepair.

"Alexander, is it inside the castle?" He could hear one man ask. He was young, and excited. A name came up in his mind. Daniel.

"In a manner of speaking. Come, bring the lamp. You've been to the refinery have you not?" This must have been Alexander speaking. He sounded old... But cunning and wicked.

"I don't believe I have. Is it connected to the...what did you call it?" He was curious, and naïve. Very young... What did this Alexander do to invoke anger in this man?

"The inner sanctum, my most precious chamber, Daniel. And it lies well beyond the refinery. In fact... It lies beneath the very stone of Brennenburg."

Just like that, the memory was over. England let out a gasp as he sat up suddenly, the nausea fading. Brennenburg... It was an old manor in 16th century Prussia. That means... Oh God. He had to get out of there.

Bolting for the main entrance, he went out to touch the door, only for a disturbing event to occur. The doors were covered in a flesh-like substance. England needed out of there. Now. He went to cast a fireball, but watched in horror as he saw a few tiny green sparks flew out of his hand.

"No..." he whispered fearfully. He slumped against the wall in a state of hopelessness. He curled up, scared out of his wits. "America... I-I need you..." he mumbled, feeling his sanity slip.

"Iggs! Can you hear me?" America's voice boomed in his head.

England looked around. "Oh great... I'm hearing things..." he said a bit frantically.

"No, Engrand-san. You are trapped inside a game." It was Japan.

"Wh-Where the bloody hell are you?!" England shouted, "I want out of here!"

"Sorry dude, the only way out is to beat the game." America said sullenly, "We need to give you a few warnings. One, don't die, you wont be able to come back. Two, anything that is perceived as a threat, run 'cause the game is gonna try and kill you. Three, any enemy you see, and don't see, run. I hacked the game for enemies to make one hit kills before you started playing."

"Well isn't that bloody wonderful..." He grumbled, "Any more bad news?"

"Umm... No. But stay quiet and hidden. If Alexander's Gatherers find you, they will hunt you down." The sound of shuffling, "I have to go to the World Conference. Stay alive, stay sane, and keep moving until I get back, 'kay?"

Silence. Well that was wonderful. Just what he needed to hear, after finding out he was trapped in one of the darkest places in the 16th century. He sighed and after finding more oil and matches, decided to explore.

He headed for a dark passage heading down. It was the fastest way to end all of this. He found he was blocked by a wall of what looked and felt like... Flesh? It was the same thing that blocked his way out the front door!

He growled irritably, turning on his heel and storming back to the main room. Going up the stairs that weren't destroyed, he heard a woman shriek.

"No! Get away from me!" She shouted. It was faint, but England figured he should go and help them. Going back down, he looked. There was the Wine Cellar and the Laboratory.

'It sounded like it came in here...' England thought. Uneasily, he opened the door to the Laboratory and walked through.

This place was like the rest of the castle. Dark, quiet, scary and filled with old and evil magic. He looked around to find one way that wasn't blocked off. Walking down that way, he felt the nausea come back on. As soon as he found a desk, he collapsed, another memory flickering its way into England's mind.

Alexander was speaking to himself. He was alone, mixing compounds that England recognized. "Hmmm...There should be more Cuprite. Let me see, let me see...And one part Aqua Fortis."

The room went dark again, as the place shook and a low growling was heard. England sat up, pausing. There was nothing more. Looking on the workbench, there was a note, and a chemistry pot. Taking both, England put the pot away while reading the note.

"Early Chemistry Experiment

"This is my third attempt to produce artificial Vitae." "That fool..." England hissed angrily.

"The former compounds lacked the potency I need, but I sense I'm close. Calamine and Orpiment are a given and Culprite binds them well. This time I will attempt Aqua Regis instead of Aqua Fortis in hope it will produce a more even solution."

The next half was written in anger...

"The experiment was unsuccessful. The solution is highly acidic and prices impractical to put to any use except as a detergent. Organic tissue reacts especially violently to the solution and should he handled with the greatest care. I might be able to use the recipe, but I'm losing hope that I will find an alchemic solution to my predicament."

England frowned. Pathetic human... On the bright side, he now had a way to get rid of the flesh blocking his way.

After looking through the desk for further useful items, he came across a container. It had insignia on it, as well as a glass bead on top. He frowned not knowing for certain what it was. Opening the container, his world went white as he felt his soul flung out his body. A voice whispered in his mind.

"One day I will return. If it wasn't for the thought of you, my love, I wouldn't be able to go on. When I find myself doing terrible things, I take comfort in you.

"As long as I am able to think of you and long for a life together, I know I'm better than the others. I weep for them, they lust for power without restraint, where I only crave fair judgment and a safe return."

As soon as he was floating, he fell back into his body. He blinked again. 'I really need to stop falling...' he thought, 'If there really are enemies here, they would take pleasure in finding me vulnerable.'

He stood up and looked around the room for anything important. There was another note, closer to the alchemic set.

"Chemical Relocation.

"The lack of a chimney to properly vent the fumes from my most recent experiments has taken its toll on many of my less stable ingredients in storage. Some seem unaffected, but many are stained by the fumes and will be difficult to salvage. I shall do what I can and move them to the Wine Cellar."

Another frown etched itself onto England's face. It seemed, so far, that Alexander was an incompetent moron, looking for Vitae, something that the nation experimented with a very long time ago. Perhaps Daniel shared England's ideals... But then, why would he want to murder Alexander?

He looked at the grating in the middle of the floor. Squinting down, he saw something move in the water. Slowly, he felt a bit of his magic reach him, and what he saw through the grating terrified him. It was a sphere of pure evil, darkness gyrating around and seeming to lash out at his minds eye. He backed away from the grating, huddling into a ball and rocking himself back and forth for a while. America's words echoed in his fragile mind.

"Stay sane and keep moving..."

England willed himself to stay strong. If not for his own sake, then for America's. He stood up and walked back where he came in. Heading to the Main Hall, he walked to the Wine Cellar door, only to find it was locked.

"Great..." he muttered. He headed back to the main section and headed back up the stairs. After looking for a bit more, he found and entered the Archives.

* * *

America was nervous. This was probably the most nerve-wracking thing he'd ever done. England had fallen into his game, and now he was supposed to cover for his old caretaker.

He walked into the meeting hall, glad that no one noticed his quiet entrance. He managed to sneak in and sit next to his brother, hoping that some of his invisibility would cover him. Canada looked over, seeing the unusually quiet American. The polar bear that was normally in his arms was over by Sealand, Spain and Romano.

"Hey Al..." the Canadian said. Well, it was more of a quiet murmur.

America jumped. "Oh, hey Mattie..."

"What's wrong?" Canada asked, a bit timidly.

"N-Nothing's wrong!" America said a bit louder than his normal whisper.

Canada frowned. His brother was only this silent when something happened. While the others were glad for a quiet America, it worried Canada to no end.

"Yes there is." Canada said, "Tell me what's wrong..."

America bit his lip and looked the other way. It was his way of holding out until something distracted the other person. It worked on everyone else, but this was Canada. There was no way that he was going to get distracted...

"Where is Arthur?" The Canadian asked bluntly. He was a bit louder now, about normal talking volume. He didn't like to get this loud, but he needed to be heard. France had walked over. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided to listen.

"Sick." America replied, nonchalant, not noticing the French nation.

Canada narrowed his eyes. "Liar."

America flinched. "A-Am not!" He near shouted.

The violet-eyed blonde crossed his arms. "If England was really sick you'd be making a huge deal out of it."

"S-So? H-He asked me to keep quiet..." America mumbled.

Canada raised his eyebrow. "When have you ever respected England's wishes?"

America was silent. He looked away only to have the Frenchman right in his face.

"Where is Arthur?" He demanded. America fell out of his chair.

America was trapped between the passive-aggressive twin and the Frenchman. "I-If I told you, neither of you would believe me..."

France looked like he was going to strangle the American, while Canada made his glare just a bit stronger. America was breaking, and Canada knew it.

"Ok ok! I'll tell you!" America shouted. He dragged the two out into the hall, much to the surprise of the two. After closing the door, he explained what happens. It may have been exaggerated, but the Canadian seemed to believe him.

"That's not what happened." France said, not believing a word that America said.

"B-But its true!" America shouted, "The green light, the game, Japan, everything!"

"He's telling the truth..." Canada mumbled. He went unnoticed.

"You expect me to believe that England is trapped in a game that is going to kill him?" France asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Francis..." Canada said, only slightly louder than before.

"Yes." Was all America could say.

France narrowed his eyes. "Well I don't." He said simply.

America and France went into a fist fight. Or at least, America attempted beat the shit out of France while the Frenchman did his best to defend himself.

"GUYS!" Canada shouted. The two stopped and looked at the abnormally loud Canadian, "He's telling the truth." He said quickly lapsing into his normal, quiet behavior.

France looked at America. "If he says you are telling the truth, I will believe him, not you."

America sighed. At least he had one person who believed him...

"I want to see this for myself."

The three turned to see Sealand standing there with Kumanjaro. He handed the bear to the Canadian.

America hesitated, then gave a resigned sigh. "Alright... But you can't tell anyone, got it?"

Sealand nodded. They went back in, only for Germany to call the meeting to an end. America trudged his way to his car, having the others pile in his car.

* * *

Oh boy... Looks like the entire FACES family is involved... Oh yeah, and Japan too. Reviews are appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Well, hello again readers. It's that time again for me to update a new chapter of insanity~ Oh, I do so hope that you enjoy this chapter. I worked hard for this one~

* * *

The Archives were - surprise, surprise - dark, and evil. He looked and found an open room. Well, it was open in the sense that someone ripped the door off of its hinges. He shuddered, hoping that it wasn't recent. Entering into the open room, he saw a page on the desk. He saw that it wasn't a note. But it had the same writing as the first letter he found.

"16th of May 1839

"The unflinching African sun has continued to plague our expedition, making it impossible to dig until dusk. How Professor Herbert managed to find the location in these vast plains of nothingness remains a mystery to me. When I asked him about the tomb again, he told me about the legend of Tin Hinan, 'the mother of us all'. An interesting story in its own right, but I can't help feeling there's more. Later that evening, we uncovered a passage beneath the dunes leading to a sand-covered stone structure. The professor was confident it was the tomb we sought and ordered the others to clear the way- late into the dark cold night.

"Tomorrow, I shall lead the men into the ancient structure, hoping to reach the burial chamber. No matter what the professor is keeping from me, the dig should yield something interesting to take back to London and the British Museum."

England thought to himself. 'It sounds like Daniel was an architect. This must be a diary entry...' Looking around, he saw a book that had been torn up, and it matched the diary entry to a "T". The air whipped around him as he felt a familiar crackle in the air. The ripped book and the page gave a soft glow as the page fused itself back into the diary. England blinked. The diary now had one page back from its ripped body. He wasn't sure either to smile or frown.

'Is Daniel a-' His thoughts were cut off by a moan. He looked up fearfully.

"Keep moving..." Right. He'd forgotten about that. He made a mental note to try to remember who Daniel was – maybe he had met him once - and moved onto the next room.

It was right across the room he was just in, but it was dark. Using his lamp for a second, he looked around and found another tinderbox, but not much else. He headed out a different door. He continued to look, the unsettling moaning continuing. He soon came across another note:

"17th of May 1839

"My hands tremble as I write. I feel a need to document my tribulation for I fear that my memory will fail me if I linger.

"Today I took some men and ventured into the dark ancient passage we uncovered. Our torches burned faintly in the murky air as we slowly made our way underground. The men were suspicious and fearful. They argued loudly and I felt their strange language getting to me. I mustered my strength and yelled at them to continue down the slopes and broken steps.

"The crudely carved passage confused me. It looked much older than the 4th century structure as we had expected. The twisting path emerged into a great ante-chamber. The walls were lined with statues unlike any I'd ever seen. Despite their unearthly quality I felt a strange familiarity towards them, which haunts me still. At the far end of the chamber, a great slab of stone sealed off whatever lay ahead. I gave the order to raise it, and as I pushed through the narrow space, the heavy stone suddenly dropped, sealing me inside.

"I was trapped."

England put the page in Daniel's Diary. The magic took effect, even as he walked off to the next destination, though he wasn't sure where his destination was exactly...

The place grew more dark as he ventured. He had to use a tinderbox or two when he searched the rooms. He had to use his lantern for the hallways. He shivered a bit, trying to steady his nerves. Furniture was tossed about in a careless manner. Books rotted on shelves that were in as bad condition as the rest of the castle. A broken vase turned out to be an urn for someone's ashes. England could hear the whispers of the dead person. A book fell unexpectedly from one of the shelves. So far, nothing was trying to kill him. England took a bit of comfort in that fact.

He soon came across a beautiful hall. Or at least, it was beautiful. A plank had fallen, and light filtered through. He couldn't tell if it was day or night out. Continuing, he couldn't help but feel someone was watching him... He came across a room filled with scrolls. He picked one up and saw that they were floor plans. Archaic, but floor plans nonetheless. He noticed a particular set, left unrolled and pinned open. He studied them for a second before falling victim to a headache. He could hear voices in his head again.

"Much of the castle is old and hasn't been tended to for centuries. When the Shadow arrives, it won't take long until things start falling apart." It was Alexander.

"We are just buying time anyway. Let's do what we can". Daniel. He seems so eager...

"There isn't much to be done about the wards. We should reinforce weak structures. The ground will tremble and there is a risk everything will cave in on us - especially downstairs. Here...here...and there. Let's get the servants working on it." Alexander seemed to want to make a final stand.

Just as soon as the headache came, it was over. England paused to make new light of this information. The Shadow... What was it? A weapon? A group? A creature? He hoped to never find out... He was about to move on, but a tremor rocked the area. England rushed to where the source was, despite what common sense was shouting. A section had caved in. He frowned a bit. Maybe he could find a way around it...

He went around and found another note... His heart pounded. England hesitated to touch it, feeling that something bad would happen... In any case, he decided to pick it up and read. Bad idea. A surge of pain racked his body, forcing him to the ground. He struggled to remain conscious, but the pain was so unbearable that his vision slowly blurred and he blacked out...

He could hear a voice... It sounded like Daniel...

"After pounding the unforgiving stone wall for what seemed like an eternity, I realized it was hopeless. I was trapped. I fell to the ground gasping for air, trying to focus. That's when I saw a faint blue shimmer."

England could see a blue shimmer in his dream-like state. Was this...?

"My weakened body was heavy to carry, but I managed to push myself towards the enchanting light. It was waiting for me."

England dragged his body as fast as he could towards the light, hoping that something good would come of this.

"Enclosed in dark nothingness, I felt myself drawn to the mystic light. I reached out closing it in my hands."

England hesitated, but he reached his hand forward and he took the sparkling orb in his hands.

"The faint glow escaped my fingers and began to spark brightly and spirit me away. Unlocking alien memories of spiraling towers, endless deserts, and impossible geometry."

England felt his body burn as images of things he had forgotten bubbled to the surface once more. He found that there were magical surges pulsating from this strange orb. His hands burned as he blacked out again.

"The next thing I can remember is the grating sound of stone being lifted. The voices of the Arabs pulling me to safety. And grasped firmly in my hands was the broken pieces of a most peculiar relic."

England bolted awake from his... What was that even? A memory? Had making contact with Daniel's Diary allowed him to see this? Everything was so bloody confusing! Even worse was the nauseating feeling... He hated this place so much... He wanted to complete the game, and get this dumb adventure over with.

He looked around and saw that the building fell even further into disrepair. He was lucky he hadn't been crushed... He investigated, finding that there was a section of wall that could crumble easily. He wound up a punch... And nearly broke his hand.

"OW! Bloody, stupid...!" he shouted, swearing. He temporarily forgot that he was supposed to be quiet. After his bit of rage, he looked for something to break the wall down. He tossed a helmet, and that broke the wall.

'But my hand didn't...? It was the same bloody force!' he thought to himself. Maybe he was given a human body...?

He went through the opening, and was assaulted by another memory. Instead of staying dazed, he was able to shuffle forward, trying to find a way out.

"You have to be swift - when you activate the first one...you hear that? If it stops, you'll have to start over." Alexander. It sounded like a puzzle. England could hear chains clinking.

"Isn't all this a bit excessive?" Daniel. He sounded a bit worried, and puzzled. England could understand his confusion.

"You can never be too careful, Daniel." Alexander sounded like a pompous bastard, pardon his language.

He noticed a folder in a glass case and broke it open with a book nearby. It was titled "Local Folklore". It was comprised of several notes, and they read as such:

"Altstadt and Brennenburg Castle 1801

"Another region rich with lore is Altstadt, deep within the East Prussian woods. For centuries there have been stories surrounding the hamlet and its neighbor, Castle Brennenburg. The quiet forest-clad mountains dressed with scattered lakes is as picturesque as can be, albeit the area is haunted by the dark. Ask any local and you will hear proof of the widespread superstition. All travelers should indulge themselves in such conversations since it will certainly serve as exciting entertainment. All of them have their own twists on the tales, but there are some motifs that keep reappearing"

"The Gatherers

"This story reaches all the way back to the Thirty Years' War. It is said that soldiers who abandoned their duty got lost in the cold dark woods and were forever damned to roam the grounds. Their bodies wrought by their tainted souls have left them disfigured and empty of essence. Many have sighted them over the years and describe them as horrid revenants. They move silently through the woods, shying away from any beholder. They are called Gatherers as they seem to follow some ambition to steal living creatures. It is their prey which can be heard struggling inside damp burlap sacks dragged behind them which reveal their presence. What dark scheme do they follow?"

"A Visit Undone

"Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the well known erudite, visited Altstadt at the start of the 16th century. He resided in the local Inn for a fortnight as he looked for remnants of kingdoms past. During his stay all the prominent members of society paid notice and he is mentioned in many records of the time. One day he went to investigate a burrow in the northwestern glades only to never be seen again. Heinrich is known to have passed away in Grenoble some ten years later. He dismissed the notion of ever visiting Altstadt, which makes you wonder what really happened. Who was this mysterious man who visited the sleepy hamlet in the woods and what happened to him?"

"The Immortal Baron

"The Baron of Brennenburg lives a reclusive life with his family at his castle nearby Altstadt and like most those of noble birth, rumors are inherited alongside with the title. Researching the history reveals little before the castle was consumed by fire in the late 16th century. It was rebuilt by Alexander, a nobleman from the Rhinelands claiming the role as protector of the Prussian State. Alexander helped the region to flourish and remained popular throughout his presumed lifetime. The family has always been secretive when it comes to lineage and heritage, therefore the birth and death of Alexander and his offspring has never been fully recorded. This has fed the idea that the baron is in fact the one and the same who came from the West over three hundred years ago, lived through the time of occupation, and joined the coveted Order of the Black Eagle along with the great leaders of this country."

Okay... So, this confirmed England's previous fears of what Castle Brennenbug was. A place that not even the big, scary Mother Russia would go to. Maybe it was time to stop worrying about the "what if"s of this place, and focused on surviving the supernatural? He walked as he thought. This was written in Daniel's handwriting, so Daniel had been doing research... Wait... He read over the second set of notes. "The Gatherers".

England's blood ran cold as America's words echoed in his head.

"If Alexander's Gatherers find you, they will hunt you down."

He shuddered, praying that maybe things would be alright in the end...

England found himself in front of where he needed to be. It seemed like he was siphoning Daniel's memories now, not just the flashbacks, but his knowledge too. Nothing to lead him on Daniel's quest for revenge, but just little bits that allowed him to know what to do. It took him a few tries, but he was able to open the hidden door behind a bookshelf. He smirked. He should use this to keep his basement hidden.

He ventured forward, into a hidden room. It had a key. England looked around for more oil. Not that he needed it, he just wanted to fill his canteen full so he wouldn't have to worry later. Instead, he came across this:

"Regarding Closing of the Wine Cellar

"Wilhelm and his fools have endangered my research long enough with their absentminded handling of the human vessels. The sheriff is keeping a watchful eye on the forest and is killing my trusty servants. It's just a matter of time until they follow the trail to Brennenburg. I need to lock Wilhelm and his men up to avoid further investigation from the public. The wine cellar will therefore be sealed off until the matter has been handled. Either the king's men leave or they will starve. Whatever comes first - they can rot for all I care.

"Maybe I will feed them some wine, it would in a sense solve both of my problems."

England was disgusted. Human vessels... What was he doing? Testing his alchemic Viate on unsuspecting people? And clearing out the wine cellar for his properties when he should have used a room just like the one he was standing in. Plenty of room, allowing him to store chemicals. Then, he could have used a separate room for his experiments. It wouldn't have been too hard to do, seeing he had all these rooms! England just rolled his eyes and grabbed the key.

He heard a slam, and a low growl. He jumped into the nearby closet, scared out of his mind. After the noises stopped and he caught his breath, England cautiously stepped out of the closet. He looked around before going to a locked door and opening it. He stepped through, back into the winding halls. He didn't seem to find anything worth merit, so he just went into the main hall. It was darker, indicating some time had passed, so he had to use his lantern. England could see a pale figure that didn't notice him. He bit his lip. It was hard to see, but it looked like that was a human. Maybe an explorer or a survivor?

"H-Hello?" he called out.

The pale figure turned, and what England saw was something straight out of his nightmares.

Its body had been savagely torn and stitched together with the exception of its face. The lack of a jaw and tongue made the skin and teeth flap uselessly against its chest. A cheek also flapped open, the ripped flesh just stopping at the back of his head. It had no nose or hair, the skin where the nose would be just folded in on itself. The eyes, fixed on England, seemed to be inflated and fish-like.

One arm was so skinny he could see the bone and the bloody bandages wrapped around his hand and wrist. The other hand and arm had inflated to be a fleshy mass. Rusty, bloody, serrated blades were gouged into this creatures hand, and it still dripped blood.

The body seemed to have been melted, the skin only being a type a type of clothing for this eviscerated creature. The legs were stitched and scarred; he could see flesh where the bandages began to cover the ankles and feet. The stitching was black with infection, leaking pus and blood. Maggots writhed inside the worn sinew stitching. Bone stuck out one of its knees, some of the flesh still hanging by a tendon.

The smell of rotting, earthy flesh emanated off of the being. It lumbered over, slowly at first. It gained such speed that it could easily outrun a human of today's world. England ran completely forgetting everything except the valuable information that America gave to him.

England could only begin to speculate what had happened, had he not been so mortified by the appearance of this creature. What in the world had Alexander been doing? Was this a "human vessel" that was mentioned in the previous notes he had found? In any case, it was nothing he had ever seen before, and it terrified him. Nothing in his history could have prepared him for this... thing.

He tripped on the fallen, wooden board in the center of the room, the lantern flying out of his hand and going out. England turned around, sitting and looking up at what he expected to kill him. The creature raised its clawed hand, about to strike and England's emerald eyes could only look on in horror as the silver glinted through the orange-brown, and dark red. At that moment, he was not worried about himself, but what would become of what he represented.

Just as the monster swung its arm, it vanished in a puff of gray smoke. England blinked. It... It was gone? He didn't move for what seemed like eons before rolling on his hands and knees. He vomited, mentally scarred by what he just experienced. It was like his body was trying to purge the memory via his stomach. After he stopped dry heaving, he sat back on the ground and curled up into a ball.

He remembered how he got here. His magic must have done something to America's computer... Oh, god. If America had gotten hit, who knows what could have happened. America could have been stuck, just like he was. Though he was used to the game... It was nothing like seeing it with your own eyes. The memory of him getting angry at his ex-colony... It made him sick. He sat there for a bit, trying to soothe his nerves before getting up and picking up the lantern. There was nothing left but to press on.

He found nothing of use that he hadn't already found before. He decided to head into the main chamber, hoping that there would be an answer to his questions, and no more horrid things.

* * *

Poor Iggy... It was inevitable though. I can't wait to start the fourth chapter~


End file.
